diff --git a/rmw_implementation/CMakeLists.txt b/rmw_implementation/CMakeLists.txt
index 58b685cd0..577b8a57b 100644
--- a/rmw_implementation/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/rmw_implementation/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.3)
 
-project(rmw_implementation NONE)
+# must be not NONE since some rmw implementation require compiler checks
+project(rmw_implementation)
 
 find_package(ament_cmake REQUIRED)
+find_package(rmw_implementation_cmake REQUIRED)
 
 if(AMENT_ENABLE_TESTING)
   find_package(ament_lint_auto REQUIRED)
   ament_lint_auto_find_test_dependencies()
 endif()
 
+get_default_rmw_implementation(RMW_IMPLEMENTATION)
+
 ament_package(
-  CONFIG_EXTRAS "rmw_implementation-extras.cmake"
+  CONFIG_EXTRAS "rmw_implementation-extras.cmake.in"
 )
diff --git a/rmw_implementation/package.xml b/rmw_implementation/package.xml
index 1ef50ebb8..9e45646e2 100644
--- a/rmw_implementation/package.xml
+++ b/rmw_implementation/package.xml
@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@
   <license>Apache License 2.0</license>
 
   <buildtool_depend>ament_cmake</buildtool_depend>
-  <buildtool_export_depend>ament_cmake</buildtool_export_depend>
 
-  <exec_depend>rmw_connext_cpp</exec_depend>
-  <exec_depend>rmw_connext_dynamic_cpp</exec_depend>
-  <exec_depend>rmw_fastrtps_cpp</exec_depend>
-  <exec_depend>rmw_implementation_cmake</exec_depend>
-  <exec_depend>rmw_opensplice_cpp</exec_depend>
+  <build_depend>rmw_implementation_cmake</build_depend>
+
+  <depend>rmw_connext_cpp</depend>
+  <depend>rmw_connext_dynamic_cpp</depend>
+  <depend>rmw_fastrtps_cpp</depend>
+  <depend>rmw_opensplice_cpp</depend>
 
   <test_depend>ament_lint_auto</test_depend>
   <test_depend>ament_lint_common</test_depend>
diff --git a/rmw_implementation/rmw_implementation-extras.cmake b/rmw_implementation/rmw_implementation-extras.cmake.in
similarity index 57%
rename from rmw_implementation/rmw_implementation-extras.cmake
rename to rmw_implementation/rmw_implementation-extras.cmake.in
index 9535fce07..00cb33b40 100644
--- a/rmw_implementation/rmw_implementation-extras.cmake
+++ b/rmw_implementation/rmw_implementation-extras.cmake.in
@@ -12,14 +12,15 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-# copied from rmw_implementation/rmw_implementation-extras.cmake
+# generated from rmw_implementation/rmw_implementation-extras.cmake.in
 
-find_package(rmw_implementation_cmake REQUIRED)
+set(RMW_IMPLEMENTATION "@RMW_IMPLEMENTATION@")
 
-get_default_rmw_implementation(_middleware_implementation)
-find_package("${_middleware_implementation}" REQUIRED)
+message(STATUS "Using RMW implementation: ${RMW_IMPLEMENTATION}")
+
+find_package("${RMW_IMPLEMENTATION}" REQUIRED)
 
 # TODO should never need definitions and include dirs?
-list(APPEND rmw_implementation_DEFINITIONS ${${_middleware_implementation}_DEFINITIONS})
-list(APPEND rmw_implementation_INCLUDE_DIRS ${${_middleware_implementation}_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-list(APPEND rmw_implementation_LIBRARIES ${${_middleware_implementation}_LIBRARIES})
+list(APPEND rmw_implementation_DEFINITIONS ${${RMW_IMPLEMENTATION}_DEFINITIONS})
+list(APPEND rmw_implementation_INCLUDE_DIRS ${${RMW_IMPLEMENTATION}_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+list(APPEND rmw_implementation_LIBRARIES ${${RMW_IMPLEMENTATION}_LIBRARIES})